Clasp.



N. M. LAULETTA.

CLASP.

APPLlCATiON FILED AUG.8,19I6.

1,226,5&. I Patented May15, 1917.

avwmdoz NICHOLAS M. LAULETTA, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed August 8, 1916. Serial No. 113,827.

1 0 all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS M. LAU- Lnr'rA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a garment clasp, and with regard to the more specific features thereof provides a clasp for use in securing garments, such as neckties and the like in an adjusted position.

The invention has for an object to provide a clasp of the above character having spring pressed jaws, a helical. spring being associated with the jaws to normally force the same together with said spring extended to provide a pin element, which is situated on the outside of the clasp and is-employed to retain the latter to a garment so that the jaws will be left free to engage with a second article or garment.

Other ob 'ects of the invention reside in a clasp of the type set forth which will be exceedingly simple in construction, efficient in use, economical to manufacture and one which will operate capably in manifold uses.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists of the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction herein described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown the preferred form of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clasp,

Fig. 2 is a vertical. longitudinal sectional view taken through the same, and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

The clasp 5 comprising the present invention consists of pivotally connected jaw members 6 and 7, which are provided with integral, cooperating lugs 8, having alining openings 9 formed therein. A pin 10 passes through said openings in order that the jaws 6 and 7 will be pivotally connected. A coil spring 11 encircles the pin 10 and is provided with offset portions 12 and 13 which contact with the upper and lower jaw members 6 and 7 respectively, said spring being utilized to force an upwardly extending garment engaging lip 14 into engagement with the under surface of the jaw 6. The construction so far described closely resembles an ordinary scarf securing clasp now in (30111111011 use.

The novel part of the present invention consists in providing the clasp 5 with an additional garment securing element, in order that the uses to which the clasp may be applied will be greatly increased. To this end the portion 12 of the spring 11 is extended through an opening 15, formed in the aw member 6, to the outer and upper sides of the jaw 6 to provide a pin 16. The pin 16 is thus integrally formed with the spring 11 in order that the clasp may be economically manufactured and to increase the utility of the same. The pin is formed with a sharpened extremity 17 which normally lies within a protecting lip 18 formed on the member 6. The flexibility of the pin will permit the latter to readily disengage from the lip or keeper 18 to enable the pin to be conveniently secured to a garment or the like. If desirable, a ring or similar member 19 may be connected with the jaw 6 whereby the clasp may be secured to a retaining chain, (not shown).

In operation, the clasp may be secured to a garment, for example, to a shirt or the like, by disconnecting the pin 16 from its keeper and inserting the same through the fabric of the shirt so that the clasp will be securely connected to the latter. This construction thus permits the garment engaging lip 14 to be operated, in order that a scarf or the like may be secured to the clasp and at the same time to the shirt.

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that there is provided a clasp in which the objects of this invention are achieved and as the construction of the clasp forms the novel part of the present invention the many uses to which the same may be applied has not been set forth, as it is to be understood that the invention may be applied to as many purposes to which it may be usefully associated, and that such uses need not be set forth at this time.

Having described the inventi0n,Iclai1n In a clasp, the combination oft pivotally connected spring actuated jaw members, one Of said jaw members being provided with an opening and having a slot extending from a portion of the periphery thereof, cooperating ears formed on said jaw members, a pin passing through openings formed in said ears and serving to pivotally unite said jaw members, a helical spring surrounding said pin and confined between said ears, offset extremities protruding from the coiled portion of said spring, one of said extremities being further extended to provide an attaching element, said element extending through the opening in the said jaw member and being located exteriorly of the clasp and provided with a pointed extremity, the said opening being of sufficient size to perinit play therein of the said extended portion. of the spring, which, is normally seated in the said slot and a keeper associated with said pointed extremity.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICHOLAS M. LAULETTA. Witnesses VINOENZO, E. P. EASTBURN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

